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Raise your voice for the common good this legislative session! Join with hundreds of Catholics as we put our faith in action to advocate for just policies at Catholic Advocacy Day. The day will include briefings on legislative issues, Mass, and appointments with legislators. Register by January 23. Click above for more information.

Whether you attended the first training in October or not, all are welcome to learn more about cultural humility together. At this workshop we will learn skills for being present with people from different cultural and/or socioeconomic backgrounds and for monitoring our own inner processes. There will be time to practice these skills through role-playing, coaching, and other techniques. Click above for more details.

"Where our brothers and sisters suffer rejection and abandonment we will lift our voice on their behalf. We will welcome them and receive them. They are Jesus and the Church will not turn away from Him."-US Bishops, January 30, 2017

News

A BIG THANK YOU to all who were able to contribute gifts to local Sanislo Elementary families. We collected 16 sets of gifts to meet the needs and wants on all the tags. We also collected 4 grocery gift cards for several homeless families at the school. Thank you as well to all who supported our gift card drive for Catholic Community Services' Santa Teresita housing! We collected 119 gift cards, which added up to almost $3000! Parents and guardians will now have the opportunity to buy just the right gifts for their children. Thank you for your generosity and for making the holidays a little brighter for some of our neighbors in need. You helped Christ's light shine brightly this year!

Your voice makes a difference. Raise it today! Right now, your members of Congress are evaluating the funding levels for critical accounts in the FY19 budget that support migrants and refugees around the world. The U.S. Catholic Bishops oppose cuts to foreign aid and want to ensure that Congress is funding these lifesaving programs at the highest levels possible. Send a pre-written, editable action alert by clicking above.

How do we dialogue in this present time of a deeply polarized society? The Life, Peace and Justice Commission would like to begin a learning process to develop dialogue around issues which the Gospel calls upon us to address but which so often lead to a fruitless polarization rather than a "credible witness to a reconciled life." We invite you to take a brief survey to select issues which you would like to enter into a dialogue about with those who do not necessarily share your view. Click above to access the survey.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently passed The Protecting Girls’ Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act out of committee and it needs your voice to pass in the Senate! Children who are refugees have witnessed violence and lost homes or loved ones. Most have been out of school for years. Education is essential to building hope for the future and healing trauma. Click above for a pre-written, editable action alert.

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me." Matthew 25:35-36

There are a variety of ways for a person to advocate on behalf of immigrants and refugees. First and foremost, it is important to be informed of not only the teachings of our Catholic Faith, but also stay informed about events, developments, and testimonies from reliable sources related to these issues. Secondly, it is very important that we are people of prayer, grounded in the Holy Scriptures, so that our actions, our energy, our passion flows from the power of the Holy Spirit. And lastly, it is important that as people of faith we do not isolate ourselves. Rather, we gather with others in community, as Jesus did, to support, encourage and challenge each other to put our faith into action. Continue to check back for updates on.

Prayer for Migrants and Refugees

Lord Jesus, when you multiplied the loaves and fishes, you provided more than food for the body, you offered us the gift of yourself, the gift which satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst! Your disciples were filled with fear and doubt, but you poured out your love and compassion on the migrant crowd, welcoming them as brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus, today you call us to welcome the members of God's family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence, and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Lord Jesus, help us by your grace,

To banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister;

To welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their many needs;

To realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;

To share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us;

To give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.

We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. We see in this human family a reflection of the divine unity of the one Most Holy Trinity in whom we make our prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.